House and Grape Leaves 1934

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, "House and Grape Leaves," using gelatin silver print. Photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries wasn’t just about pointing and shooting. It was a craft. To produce a gelatin silver print like this, Stieglitz would have used a glass plate negative and then painstakingly developed the image, manipulating light and shadow in the darkroom. In this image, there is a clear interest in the surface of the house’s wooden siding, with its neat, repetitive lines, and the contrast with the organic profusion of the grape leaves. The sharp focus reveals the textures of both elements. Stieglitz elevated photography to the level of fine art through his careful attention to process, composition, and materiality. He wasn't just documenting; he was crafting an image, much like a painter or sculptor. This piece invites us to see the artistry in everyday scenes and to reconsider what we classify as "art" versus "craft."